Safety doesn't come in a vending machine

• Safety doesn't come in a vending machine

Construction union UCATT is warning that using vending machines to sell life-saving personal protective equipment (PPE) on sites risks workers' safety and could be illegal. The union alert came after UK vending machine specialist VendEase announced it had 'secured business with Barr Construction to help solve the costly problem of providing personal protection equipment (PPE) to sub-contractors.' VendEase director Dave Berman said: 'Thanks to vending machine technology, Barr now has a cost neutral solution to the often expensive obligation of providing essential safety gear.' UCATT said charging for protective equipment is contrary to the 1992 regulations on PPE, that state: 'Personal Protective Equipment is to be supplied and used at work wherever there are risks to health and safety that cannot be adequately controlled in other ways' and 'an employer cannot ask for money from an employee for PPE, whether it is returnable or not.' The union says the rules should usually apply to agency workers. Steve Murphy, general secretary of UCATT, said: 'This appears to be yet another instance of construction companies trying to cut corners when it comes to safety. UCATT officials all too frequently have to deal with companies and agencies who try to avoid their responsibility to supply the correct PPE. The failure to supply the correct PPE compromises workers' safety.' UCATT is also concerned that having to rely on a vending machine will lead to workers purchasing ill-fitting PPE, or they will not have the correct PPE for the specific task. Poorly fitting PPE can increase accidents and lead to workers being injured, it said. General secretary Steve Murphy added: 'Poorly fitting PPE is almost as dangerous as not having the correct equipment. Companies must take safety seriously and ensure that the right PPE is supplied.'

UCATT news release.

VendEase news release.

Construction Enquirer.